Laxis
is a lexical-axis variable font designed for artist Elizabeth Gabrielle Lee. Simultaneously a character and a space, it contains basic alphabet, numerals, and punctuations lexically sorted into one glyph; one continuous motion. Together with code, the font explores the relationship between image, text, and sign through Lee’s site.
All 77 basic Latin letters, numerals, and punctuations are formed by a system of 4 circles and 8 squares, each moving on a 7 × 12 line grid in a continuous interpolated movement as a result of the variable type functionality. Placed within the glyph “7”, the typeface is imbued with details from Lee’s obsessions with Eastern and Western spiritual narratives, alchemy, astrology, I-ching, and more. Between all the recognisable letters are non-letters, not-yet words, meanings that never arrived. Each text on Lee’s website is traversable through the scroll, each like a destination; everything else in between, is slippage. (Credits — Site design with, site build: OKOK Services)
Form & Agency
is a solo exhibition by artist Brandon Tay that explores the materiality of the digital. Presented on three stacks — the physical, the virtual, and live simulation components — the visual identity echoes the verticality of the stacks with a custom typeface and code logic. Shown in Yeo Workshop, Singapore.
The experimental variable typeface, As above, so below with elongated ascenders and descenders is capable of forming ‘vertical ligatures’, not with lateral letters but across lines of texts through stems of letterforms. This verticality is reflected through the placement of texts on edges of walls in the gallery space; of thresholds between spaces. Vertical ligatures challenging the linearity of languages; of words in lines; of thresholds between symbols and meanings. (Credits — Curator: Rafi Abdullah; Exhibition design: Amirul Nazree, set up w/ Nghia Phung; Website design and build: w/ Bảo Anh Bùi; Exhibition Photography: Jonathan Tan)